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Derek didn’t know what he was expecting when he and his family went to Argent’s Resort. He definitely wasn’t expecting to fall in love.
It was a calm, beautiful resort in northern California, not far from where they lived. There were several golf courses around the expansive ground. There was a huge main building with several floors where most of the resort’s activities would take place. It was surrounded by smaller buildings where the wealthy guests would stay.
The owner of the resort was an elderly man, Gerard Argent. He had the air of someone who only did things when they would benefit himself. Gerard’s family also worked at the resort. His daughter, Kate, had unfortunately taken a liking to Derek. He wasn’t sure if she ever did any work around the resort like the rest of the family, but she was constantly trying to seek him out during whatever activities he was doing.
By the third night, Derek was so tired of dealing with Kate that he ran off to an area of smaller buildings where the guests didn’t seem to be going. He realized that he had come upon the staff area. He saw a tanned young man in the resort uniform carrying more watermelons than he comfortably could towards one of the buildings. The faint sound of music was coming from the building. Despite the fact that he shouldn’t be there, he ran over to the young man and took a watermelon from the top of the small pile he was carrying.
“Hey, thanks, dude!” The young man grinned at him, looking more comfortable with the lesser weight, then studied him. “Wait, aren’t you a guest? You’re not supposed to be here! This is the staff area.”
“I had to get away from out there. I can go now.” Derek frowned and was about to set the watermelon back on the employee’s pile.
The young man’s eyes widened and he shook his head. “No, no, please help me!” he begged, his eyes big and wide like a puppy’s. “You can come along, just don’t tell anyone, okay?”
“Yeah, alright,” Derek said, inwardly sighing in relief. Any time away from Kate was a good time.
The other man led the way to the building with the music coming from it. “By the way,” he said, “my name is Scott. I bus the tables at the restaurant here.”
“Derek.”
“Nice to meet you, dude! Here we are!” Scott used his hip to swing the door open wide and suddenly loud music filled Derek’s ears.
The staff was throwing a raucous party. The area against the walls were for drinking and talking, but the majority of the room was being used as an impromptu dance floor. Couples and groups of people twisted and moved to the beat, laughing and having a blast. The fancy ballroom dancing that took place in the main resort was far removed from the bumping and grinding going on at this party.
Derek and Scott avoided the dancers by walking along the edges of the room to get to the back where the food was. Scott put his watermelons down with a groan. “These things are way too heavy! Thanks for the hand, Derek!”
“No problem. Like I said, I had to get away.” Derek put down his own watermelon.
“From Aunt Kate,” a female voice said. “I saw her with you. She can be rather pushy at times.”
Derek recognized the woman approaching as the owner’s granddaughter, Allison, a pretty brunette with dimples. She came over to Scott and kissed him sweetly on the lips.
“Hi, Ally!” Scott’s whole demeanor changed as Derek could practically see the hearts coming out of his eyes. He felt a pang as he wondered if he would ever be that much in love with someone else.
To distract him from his thoughts before he got too broody, as his sisters liked to say, he turned and watched the people on the dance floor. His eyes were drawn to one couple in particular. A young woman with beautiful blonde curls and bright red lipstick had her arms wrapped around the neck of a pale young man with somewhat messy brown hair. His big grin and outlandish dance moves not at all like the other dancers immediately drew Derek in, and he watched him, wishing that he was the one wrapping his arms around the pale man.
Scott noticed where Derek was staring and said, “That’s my best buddy Stiles. He’s as good as my brother! We both work here over the summer, since Ally put in a good word for us.” He looked worshipfully over at Allison.
“He looks like he’s having fun with his girlfriend,” Derek said, trying to not to show any emotion.
“Hm? Erica‘s just his friend,” Scott said, confused. “He actually likes guys.” He looked over Derek. “Guys like you, actually.”
A sense of relief sank through Derek. Maybe he had a chance with the pale man. Stiles.
“Hey, nice job, Scotty!” Stiles approached the group with Erica and came up to Scott. Up close, Derek could see the moles dotting his face and arms and he found himself wondering where else they covered. He turned his big brown eyes to Derek and a big grin grew on his face. “And what are you doing here, big guy?” he asked, looking Derek up and down.
“I… I carried a watermelon,” Derek blurted out and instantly regretted it. He closed his eyes and tried to block out Erica’s loud laughter at his horrible first impression.
“And I’m glad you did,” Stiles ran a hand lightly over his arm, including his very visible bicep from the daily work out regimen he did.
Derek shivered from the soft touch. He cleared his throat nervously. “I’m Derek.”
“And I’m Stiles!” The music changed and suddenly “Love Man” was playing. “This is my jam!” He was about to run back to the apparent dance floor, but turned to Derek. “Come find me on the dance floor if you want!” He grinned cheekily and flashed finger guns at Derek before scampering off to dance.
Derek found himself watching Stiles dance. His moves were kind of awkward, but he looked like he was having the time of his life.
“Well, go on!” Erica came up beside Derek. “You like him, he likes you, it’s so obvious!” She gave him a saucy wink at him and disappeared onto the dance floor.
Derek glanced back at Scott and Allison. Scott nodded at him and Allison gave an encouraging smile. “Good luck!” she said.
Derek paused. Stiles was just his type, and he’d asked him to dance. Deciding not to let this chance slip on by, he moved over to where Stiles was dancing away.
“You came!” Stiles grinned up at him and threw his arms around Derek as he moved his lower body.
“I did.” Derek moved and slid his lower body beside Stiles, and the two moved to the rhythm together.
**********
Derek and Stiles weren‘t the best dancers in the world, but they danced all night, and continued dancing their way into a very happy life together.